Commercial sex workers, popularly refered to as prostitutes, have once again, cried out over the hardship and low patronage they are currently experiencing in Jos.
Late last year, they raised the alarm over what they were going through, lamenting that they were barely making ends meet due to the hardship in the country due to the policies of President Bola Tinubu.
President of the Plateau State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Prostitutes (NANP), Ms. Sunita Jatau, who spoke to an undercover journalist then, had lamented that some of their members are dying of hunger due to low patronage from their customers.
While speaking to the journalist who pretended to be a customer,
Ms Jatau had cried out that the organization has lost about 12 members due to the current situation in the country.
She had also pointed out to the escalating cost of living in the country which she said had adversely affected her members, forcing many of them into severe hardship and hunger.
“Things have been so difficult for us since President Tinubu entered office and started implementing his wicked policies. Our members are finding it hard to feed and take care of their needs,” Sunita said.
“At the last count, we have lost about 12 of our girls, some due to the fact that they were sick and could not afford the cost of treatment.
“What many people do not know is that we prostitutes are also bread winners of our families. Some of us have children and parents to take care of.
‘But how do we do it when the men who are our customers are also finding things hard for themselves? Some of them can’t come out to patronize us again and the few that manage to come can’t pay much because of the situation.
“We are starving. We are suffering. We are Nigerians too and things should not be this way. We are also begging our dear Governor, Caleb Mutfwang and the Commissioner for Women Affairs to come to our aid by helping us with palliatives and small loans so we can do small businesses,” she added.
Fast forwarding to May 2025, the story has not changed as the scarlet are still singing the same tune as their situation seems to have gone from bad to worse.
We once again, took a trip around some hot spots in Jos over the weekend to sample the pulse of some of these ladies and their responses have remained the same.
At West of Mines, we encountered Florence who claimed she has been in the skin business for over 8 years but lamented that the past one year has been the most challenging for her as she barely makes enough money to take care of her two children.
“My brother, we are really going through hell, gaskiya. You can see for yourself how dry this place is. If you know West of Mines very well, you will know that it was one of the most bubbling places in Jos.
“But look at the place now, even on a Saturday night, it is almost empty. I used to make more than 20k per week but these days, if I manage to make 5k, I have to thank God.
“I have two children to take care of, pay their school fees, feed and clothe them, pay house rent. But how do I do that when my customers can’t even come out?
“The few that come do not have much on them and you have to take whatever they give you. Imagine a man giving you N500 after a round of sex? But what can you do? Things are so hard these days,” she cried out.
She also called on the government to come to their aid by providing them with loans to start up businesses.
“If I have small money, I will definitely stop prostitution and go into business. I am tired,” she said.
At Old Airport, we met Simi who also had the same tales of woes.
Simi who is a single mother of a child, said she has not been able to pay her house rent or her child’s school fees due to lack of money.
“Things have been so hard for me now that I have not been able to pay my house rent and my daughter’s school fees. The father of my child has abandoned me and his child and I am the only one taking care of her.
“I did not enter this business because I like it but due to the situation of things, I had to close my eyes and sell my body to make ends meet.
“But now, things are so difficult that men who used to patronize us don’t have the money to come out. These days, if I manage to make N2,000 a night, I count such a day as my lucky day.
“We are really suffering. If I had the means, I would start a small business instead of this suffering I am going through,” she stated.
